Sissy Rooney is a 32 year old fashion designer who was born in Toxteth Liverpool, but now resides in Manchester.  She is the founder and proud owner of the Street Style Surgery. 

The Street Style Surgery is a social enterprise organization which works with socially disadvantaged children and young people in the UK to express themselves through fashion design and clothing. Through workshops, Sissy promotes the importance of creativity for individual self-confidence and worth, and provides the opportunity for young people to explore their own entrepreneurship and the fashion business as a viable career choice. 

Sissy was always interested in fashion design from a young age.  When she was 14, a Careers Advisor asked: “What do you want to do when you leave school?”. Sissy said that she wanted to be a famous fashion designer, to which the teacher replied “hmmmmm, do you mean a sewing machinist in a factory?” Sissy repeated that she wanted to be a fashion designer. The teacher put “sewing machinist” as her option! That wasn’t going to stop her. She had a lot of potential in school but left before her GCSEs due to her living in a deprived area and mixing with the wrong crowd.  Then a textile teacher who had spotted her potential while still in school sent home 2 tickets to see a fashion show in the local college. Sissy went and was blown away - she enrolled on the course instantly.

Sissy then went on to complete 9 years of fashion education (3 year City and Guilds, 2 year HND, 4 year Degree) where she developed skills such as trend & fabric awareness, garment manufacture and design, not to mention her excellent pattern cutting skills.

Sissy wanted a job with urban-wear fashion brands Bench and Hooch, but there was no job being advertised, so she bombarded them with emails until they let her come in and show them her work. They were so impressed that they hired her on the spot. She worked for them for two years until she had absorbed all she could.

Sissy had always dreamt of having her own fashion business, so she enrolled on the “New Entrepreneur Scholarship” business course.  There she learned a lot about setting up a business from scratch. She then launched her own clothing label in 2005 called “Sissy’s Surgery”.  Unfortunately, Sissy had to admit defeat and close her business down as it wasn’t proving financially viable to run.  But she didn’t let that stop her from achieving her dream of being her own boss.

Sissy came up with the idea for the Street Style Surgery, which is now flourishing and winning prestigious awards such as the Future 100 Entrepreneurs list. She is also a finalist for the UK Young Fashion Entrepreneur 2009, supported by NESTA and the British council. Sissy has recently been made an ambassador for “The Make Your Mark Campaign”

Sissy loves what she does and is really proud of what she has achieved, she loves to read the pupils' positive feedback after the workshops; they always have such good things to say. 

The reason for hosting these workshops is because I truly see fashion and clothing as playing a vital part in any young person's life. It gives the individuals an opportunity to express themselves visually, whilst promoting pride and confidence and giving them a chance to express their own fashion style!